Cooler air, dampness rising from cold earth, gray skies.
The season turns, and I turn inward, seeking warmth.
Warmth of the hearth, warmth of the heart, blankets.
I laugh with my family. I simmer soup on the stove. Here in the heart of our home.
Then comes a pale, clear day when the sun and the flaming trees astonish me.
Warmth of beauty draws me out.
For more photos:
An Autumn Branch
Blossom
I’ve been writing up a storm lately.
I finished a revision draft for Hunting Wild (a North-lands Story) at the end of the summer and sent it off to my first reader. I completed a first draft of Winter Glory (in the Kaunis Clan Saga) at the end of October, and sent that off for beta reading. Now I am hard at work on Caught in Amber, about halfway through.
All the writing has been immensely satisfying, but I continue to work on the publishing tasks that go along with being an indie publisher.
I’m working on a cover for Serpent’s Foe. The story is included in the anthology Quantum Zoo, but I plan to release it solo as well (which means it needs a cover). Some readers prefer their short stories in anthologies and collections. Others like to pick them up one by one, choosing only the exact ones they want. (The single versus the album.) I like to please every variety of reader. 😀
I’ve also been working on the cover for Hunting Wild, and that’s what I wanted to show you today. I had a lot of fun making it, and I think the result is pretty cool. One of these weeks I’ll do a “building cover” post to show you what went on behind the scenes. It was pretty involved!
Here’s a little bit about the story.
When a king begs a boon, can you refuse him?
Young Remeya – fosterling and maid-in-waiting to King Xavo’s sister – thinks you cannot.
Her king requests that she retrieve a dread secret from the well on the grassy hillside of his castle’s outer bailey, and she complies.
From the moment her sovereign grips the unwholesome treasure in his hand, the coherence of his mind, his court, and his kingdom start to unravel.
Remeya claims the task of setting wrong to right, but the king’s madness erodes every good thing remaining, even while her own determination brings neither sound strategy nor success.
Only when King Xavo condemns his sister to death does Remeya consider a most unlikely resource.
Coming soon!
For more on cover creation:
Creating Livli’s Cover
Building Star-drake’s Cover
Cover Creation: Perilous Chance
I’m always excited when one of my books releases in paperback. But there’s something really special about Quantum Zoo doing so. Probably because it was such a big project, an ambitious project, and involving so many people. Regardless of the reasons…I am totally doing the happy dance!
:: happy dance, oh, happy dance, happy dance, so happy dance ::
Okay, maybe I can calm down now. Here’s the more sedate statement:
Quantum Zoo is now available as a paperback. Just in time for holiday gifts! Yippee!
(Okay, maybe not so calm after all. I can’t be calm with all this excitement fizzing inside me!) Here’s what the book looks like. More about the contents below.
From a haunted old zoo filled with ghosts to a dying starship on its way to a new home – humanity’s final gasp, Quantum Zoo presents a dozen compelling stories featuring a dozen exotic and unusual menageries.
Jack the Ripper arrives for one last murder, while a dinosaur – out of place and out of time – bridges the gap between two poignant lovers in the wonderfully atmospheric England of Hugo- and Nebula-nominated Bridget McKenna.
Quantum Zoo propels you on an enthralling journey through awe and emotion, highs and lows, with tender romance following hair-raising action.
Join some of the hottest independent science-fiction and fantasy authors writing today in the fascinating worlds they create from the zoo!
Quantum Zoo as a paperback:
Amazon.com I Amazon DE I Amazon ES I Amazon UK I CreateSpace
PRAISE FOR QUANTUM ZOO
“What a terrific anthology! Quantum Zoo brings together a great collection of stories by both new and seasoned authors. Given only the starting concept of “zoo,” each author was then allowed to explore that theme in any way they chose. The result: a head-spinning collection of amazingly inventive stories ranging from high fantasy to horror to science fiction.” – Michael Major
PRAISE FOR QUANTUM ZOO AUTHORS
Morgan Johnson writes a “fast, fierce and gritty cyberpunk space lovecraftian tale. Seamlessly honed to a wicked point.”
“Definitely a page turner, exciting, funny, and heart-wrenching at the same time. Gelner ‘knocked it out of the park’!”
“Furie has an eye for witty detail that keeps you turning the pages. More, please!”
“A.C. Smyth has written a gripping, captivating page-turner… Sylas owns my heart, and his journey alternately makes me want to laugh, cry, smack him upside his stubborn head, scream, and most of all, keep reading!”
“McKenna’s subtle style and deft handling are practically textbook perfect for short form fiction.”
Stegall “clearly loves two things: historical research and San Francisco. I’m not sure if I learned more about San Francisco or Wyatt Earp, but I had a great time in the process.”
“Batt has done it again. This story is just unfairly funny. I couldn’t stop laughing, which got me plenty of odd looks in public, I’ll tell you…”
“…always fun to discover a new, talented author, and Scott Dyson is my latest find.”
“A brilliant new fantasy concept, intelligent writing… [McCoy’s] innate story-telling ability combined to produce a tale that I could not get enough of.”
Ney-Grimm “has an ethereal sort of quality to her writing…it’s almost mystical…absolutely unique, and absolutely engaging.”
“Damn you John Hindmarsh – I am on vacation in Turkey and am waking up late every day because I start reading this book in the evening and can’t put it down until 2:30AM!”
Quantum Zoo continues to be available as an ebook.
Amazon.com I Amazon AU I Amazon CA I Amazon DE I Amazon ES I Amazon UK
I’ve tried cooking this combination – parsnips and turnips – two ways. They’re both good, but distinctly different as an eating experience. The broth-cooked method yields a smoother, almost sweeter result. The roasted method delivers a denser, starchier one. I’m going to share them both.
Ingredients
3 large turnips or rutabagas
8 – 10 parsnips
1/4 to 1/2 cup butter
3/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
3 cups chicken broth (for broth version; omit for roasted version)
Broth Directions
Pour the chicken broth into a large pot and warm over medium heat.
Scrub the vegetables in clear water. Then peel them and cut into bite-sized chunks. Add the vegetables to the chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the veggies are fork tender. Take the pot off the heat and let it cool 10 minutes.
Pour the whole mixture into a food processor. Add the butter and salt and process until smooth and creamy. Serve.
Roast Directions
Scrub the vegetables in clear water. Then peel them and cut into bite-sized chunks.
Put the chopped parsnips in one baking dish, the turnips in another.
Melt the butter and drizzle it over both portions of vegetables. Cover both baking dishes and place them in a 350ºF oven.
Bake the turnips for 45 minutes, check them for tenderness, and pull them out of the oven when they are fork tender.
Bake the parsnips for 90 minutes, check them for tenderness, and pull them out of the oven when they are fork tender.
Place both vegetables, the salt, and more butter into a food processor. Process until smooth. Re-heat the purée and serve.
More recipes:
Chicken Stock
Coconut Salmon
Sauerkraut
Arugula Beef
